Closings

Severe Weather

Taking Shelter From the Storm

A residential safe room is designed to protect families or small groups of people (up to 16) while a community safe room is defined as a shelter designed and constructed to protect a larger group of people from a natural hazard event.

A typical single family storm shelter is built close to the home, but not so close that the house could fall on the door during a storm. The main door on most storm cellars is mounted at an angle rather than flush with the ground to prevent debris from piling up and trapping the occupants.

Many shelters incorporate GPS technologies to assist in insuring recovery from the shelter after a storm or other catastrophic event.

In most cases cell service will be limited or not available at all inside of a storm shelter.

Below ground shelters provide the greatest protection, but a safe room built in a first-floor interior room also can provide the necessary protection. See your local building codes or FEMA for specific construction recommendations.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspect storm shelters at the temporary replacement site for Irving Elementary School in Joplin, Mo., July 2, 2011. The school was destroyed by the EF-5 tornado that struck the Joplin area May 22.